Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp might buy in January after injuries

It’s not all good news for Reds fans though with both Philippe Coutinho and Dejan Lovren substituted within the first half an hour after sustaining hamstring injuries.

But Klopp suffered a triple injury blow with Dejan Lovren, Philippe Coutinho and Kolo Toure all picking up hamstring injuries.

Klopp was critical after Saturday’s 2-0 loss at West Ham, but was more positive after this win but insisted the tie is not over. His best game was in that 4-1 at City when he scored two and set up another but, even then, he missed three clear opportunities.

Beforehand Stoke’s captain, Ryan Shawcross, said: “We have shown over the past year to 18 months that we can match and hurt any side in the division, irrespective of their standing in the game”. As Klopp saw in Christmas with his family he no longer had a break to work and influence the players away from the spotlight of games.

Despite their injury problems, though, Liverpool were soon in front, as Lallana broke down the right on to a through pass, and delivered a cross that Joe Allen helped on for Ibe to blast beyond Butland. “They restricted space to good effect, the same as we do when we try to impose our tactics”.

The German got the flawless response from his team after accusing them of “not enough” in an insipid performance at the weekend, when they took a significant step towards the Capital One Cup final.

Stoke switched things up at the start of the second, bringing on Jonathan Walters and deploying a much more direct brand of football.

Liverpool travel to Exeter for Friday night’s FA Cup third round tie and Klopp is unsure who he can field in central defence.

Klopp’s Liverpool were two games away from a final and three games from a trophy, something Brendan Rodgers never accomplished in his time at Anfield and that hurt him the moment people started to turn on him.

“Before the game if somebody had told us draw we would taken it, so 1-0, we are happy”.

Firmino and Lallana both had shots from range well saved by Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland, before Liverpool’s momentum was abruptly halted when Coutinho went down off the ball, clutching his left hamstring.

Liverpool will be favourites to secure a place in the final at Wembley when Stoke visit Anfield for the second leg on January 26.

“That’s not possible, so we tried everything for this game and the boys did well”.

The home side piled on the pressure in the opening 10 minutes of the second half but it was Liverpool who went close in the 62nd minute, as Roberto Firmino rifled a low effort just wide of the mark.

Touré chose to play on, telling Liverpool’s medical staff it was merely cramp, but Klopp talked afterwards about having “zero centre-halves left”, indicating he feared it might be something more serious.